Sergio Aguero stars in crucial City win: Man City Player Ratings vs. Monaco

That game had just about everything. Thankfully, City came out on the right end of that result, thanks to some attacking brilliance from Sergio Aguero and co.

Let’s take a look at how Jordan Elgott rated the performances of City’s players:

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Willy Caballero – 7

I’ve been very complimentary of Caballero in recent weeks, as have many City fans, but he was shockingly poor in the first-half. He looked nervy from the start, fumbling simple saves and he was sloppy with the ball at his feet. It cost us. It was his error which led to Monaco’s equaliser, and the Blues seemed like they weren’t going to recover from it.

But, Caballero redeemed himself in the second-half. He may come up short in certain areas, but penalty saving isn’t one of them and that was evident once more, as the Argentine ‘keeper made a crucial save from the excellent Falcao. We also shouldn’t forget his save in the dying moments of the match to keep the score at 5-3, which could be very important going into the second leg.

Bacary Sagna – 5

Another one that struggled today. Sagna seemed uncomfortable when receiving the ball from Caballero, and it seemed like every pass he made went backwards. He was caught ball-watching when Falcao headed in Monaco’s equaliser, and perhaps should have been quicker in getting across to clear the danger. He was also slow when reacting to Falcao bullying John Stones for Monaco’s third. Showed his age tonight.

John Stones – 6.5

Stones was quite good for the majority of the game but his defending for Monaco’s third goal was hard to watch, as he got bullied by Radamel Falcao. He clearly still has plenty to learn defensively.

Stones didn’t let that goal affect him though, as he went up the other end and scored what was eventually the winning goal for City.

Nicolas Otamendi – 3

Dreadful.

I’d write a bit more about why, but his performance doesn’t deserve any more of my time.

Fernandinho – 5

Playing at left-back once again, Fernandinho really struggled. He was tidy on the ball, but was caught out of position on countless occasions. Pep decided to do something about it, and he was rightfully replaced by Pablo Zabaleta straight after Monaco scored their third goal.

Yaya Touré – 6

After being given a rest at the weekend, Yaya Touré returned to the starting line-up to face his former club. Despite being one of our most reliable players since coming back from exile, it was clear that this game was just too fast for him. Touré couldn’t deal with the pace that Monaco countered with, and was seen jogging back far too often.

He was still able to contribute going forward, however, as his crucial flick-on turned out to be the assist for John Stones’ goal.

Kevin De Bruyne – 8

Kevin was tipped to start in a ‘false 9’ role tonight but Guardiola chose to keep him in his regular role and it worked wonders. He was tireless in the middle, working as hard as any player to retrieve the ball, and should have had at least one assist in the first-half as Sergio Aguero squandered his delightful cross. He kept going all game, and his dangerous corners led to City’s third and fourth goals.

David Silva – 8.5

Silva started the game well – providing the pass for Leroy Sané which led to City’s opener through Raheem Sterling. His pass for Sergio Aguero in the build up to City’s fifth and final goal was also delightful. He went missing at times, but was undoubtedly a crucial factor in City’s win tonight.

Raheem Sterling – 9

An absolutely superb performance from Raheem. He’s been impressive this season, but this was one of the first times that I’ve seen him take a game by the scruff of the neck and drag his team through a difficult spell. He did very well to get into position to tap in City’s opener, and his pass to Sergio Aguero for City’s second was sublime.

Leroy Sané – 8.5

Opposition full-backs must be absolutely petrified of facing City at the moment. To have two wingers playing as well as Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sané is a blessing, and we are reaping the full rewards of their form at the moment. Sané started the game slightly poorly, wasting a good chance from a crossing position early on. Thankfully, he didn’t let it phase him, and his part in City’s opener was outstanding. He capped off his performance with an easy finish to seal the win for City.

Sergio Aguero – 9 (Man of the Match)

If ever a player needed a goal, it was Sergio Aguero. So much had been made of the Argentine’s dip in form before the game, and it seemed to be affecting him during the first-half. He squandered a great chance when he failed to connect with Kevin De Bruyne’s delicious cross, and it just wasn’t happening for him. But then he got the break he needed. A disastrous piece of goalkeeping from Monaco’s Subasic allowed him to get on the scoresheet, and he never looked back. His sweetly-struck volley to level the scores was a reminder of his talent for all the doubters, and he unselfishly squared the ball to Leroy Sané to seal the win for the Blues.

Well in, Sergio. Keep it up.

Subs:

Pablo Zabaleta – 7

Brought on when the Blues were 3-2 down, Zaba slotted into right-back and did an excellent job. He may not have affected the game in an attacking sense, but his introduction was a turning point in the match.

Fernando – N/A

No time to mark.

Jesus Navas – N/A

No time to mark.

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Do you agree with Jordan’s ratings? Comment below or tweet us and let us know your thoughts on how City’s players performed.